(DES MOINES) – Gov. Branstad is ordering all flags in the state to be flown at half-staff from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, March 26, 2013, to honor 27-year old Army Staff Sgt. Steve Blass, of Estherville, who died in a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crash in Kandahar, Afghanistan, on Monday, March 11.

Blass’ funeral will be held at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, March 26, 2013 at the Estherville High School Gym. Brig. Gen. Derek Hill, Deputy Adjutant General of the Iowa National Guard, will be in attendance to represent the administration.

The governor’s directive applies to all U.S. and state flags under the control of the state. H.R. 692, signed in 2007, requires federal government agencies in the state to comply with the governor’s executive order that the U.S. flag be flown at half-staff in the event of the death of a member of the Armed Forces.

Flags will be at half-staff on the state Capitol building and on flag displays in the Capitol complex, and upon all public buildings, grounds, and facilities throughout the state. Individuals, businesses, schools, municipalities, counties and other government subdivisions are encouraged to fly the flag at half-staff for the same length of time as a sign of respect.

Officials at Myrtue Medical Center in Harlan are making changes when it comes to scheduling children’s immunizations at Shelby County Public Health clinics. The Shelby County Community Health Department says beginning in April, appointments will be required for children’s immunizations. Appointments will be available from 3 to 6pm on the first Wednesday of each month.

You can pre-register each child for an appointment online at www.shelbycountyclinics.com or calling 712-755-4422. The next children’s immunization clinic is scheduled for Wednesday April 3rd at the Shelby County Community Health building, located at 2712 12th Street in Harlan.

The Atlantic Police Department reports three people were arrested Thursday. Facing charges of Interference with Official Acts and 4th degree Theft, are 19-years old’s Joseph Kennedy and Rynell Ware, both of Council Bluffs.  The charges are the result of an incident which occurred Thursday night, during which Kennedy and Ware allegedly walked out of the Atlantic Wal-Mart Store with two shopping carts full of merchandise they failed to pay for, and then allegedly tried to hide from police officers.

And, the A-PD says 29-year old Daniel Fredericksen, of Atlantic, was arrested Thursday on a Cass County warrant for Failure to Appear.

Clarinda Police Chief Keith Brothers says with a good chance of a significant snowfall occurring in Clarinda on Saturday and Sunday, now is the time to remind the citizens of the community about the emergency snow ordinance. The Clarinda Snow Ordinance says: No person shall park any motor vehicle or other apparatus upon any street of the city that will obstruct the removal of snow when there has been an accumulation of two (2) inches or more. Any vehicle left parked on any street in violation of this ordinance may be impounded, and the registered owner of the vehicle will be subject to a $15.00 parking fine, and payment of all applicable towing and storage fees in order for the vehicle to be released.